Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Quality of Life in Children and Adults with Growth Hormone Deficiency

  • Conference paper
Therapeutic Outcome of Endocrine Disorders

Part of the book series: Serono Symposia USA ((SERONOSYMP))

  • 94 Accesses

Abstract

There has been a growing recognition among clinicians of the importance of earning more about how patients view the effects of their condition and its treatment. The concept of health-related quality of life represents a method that is commonly used to assess the views of the patients in terms of the physical, social, and emotional aspects of living with their condition (1). Quality of life is an important component of research into outcomes, which is directed toward verifying the extent to which patients are compromised by their current state, and whether they benefit from the health care given. There is growing scientific awareness that clinical indicators are inadequate for explaining health-related quality of life (2). This particularly applies to conditions where there may be few biological markers of disease activity. In fact, in this situation it has been suggested that the ultimate goal of treatment is to maintain or to improve the patients’ quality of life. Outcomes in growth hormone (GH) deficiency include objective measures of height, weight, body composition or bone diameter. In children, intellectual functioning is estimated in addition to the physiological outcomes. These measures, however, do not necessarily reflect the impact of the condition. Neither do changes in these parameters represent valid indicators of health-related quality of life. It is therefore essential to measure quality of life alongside conventional clinical parameters.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 79.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 99.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  1. Spitzer WO. State of science 1986;quality of life and functional status as target variables for research. J Chron Dis 1987; 40: 465–71.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Whitehead WE, Burnett CK, Cook EW, Taub E. Impact of irritable bowel syndrome on quality of life. Dig Dis Sci 1996; 41: 2248–53.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Shumaker S, Anderson R, Czajhowski S. Psychological tests and scales. In: Spilker B, ed. Quality of life assessments in clinical trials. New York: Raven Press, 1990: 95–113.

    Google Scholar 

  4. Testa MA, Simonson DC. Assessment of quality of life outcomes. N Engl J Med 1996; 334: 835–40.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Patrick DL, Deyo RA. Generic and disease-specific measures in assessing health status and quality of life. Med Care 1989; 27: 217–32.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Fitzpatrick R, Fletcher A, Gose S, Jones D, Spiegelhalter D, Cox D. Quality of life measures in health case. I: Applications and issues in assessment. Br Med J 1992; 305: 1074–77.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Kirshner B, Guyatt G. A methodological framework for assessing health indices. J Chron Dis 1985; 38: 27–36.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Voss LD, Mulligan J. The short normal child in school: self-esteem, behavior, and attainment before puberty. In: Stabler B, Underwood LE, eds. Growth, stature, and adaptation. Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina. 1994: 47–64

    Google Scholar 

  9. Sandberg DE, Brook AE, Campos SP. Short stature: a psychosocial burden requiring growth hormone therapy? Pediatrics 1994; 94: 832–40.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Rotnem D, Genel M, Hintz RL, Cohen DJ. Personality development in children with growth hormone deficiency. J Am Acad Child Psychiatr 1977; 16: 412–26.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Erling A, Wiklund I, Albertsson-Wikland K. Prepubertal children with short stature have a different perception of their well-being and stature than their parents. Qual Life Res 1994; 3: 425–29.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Stabler B, Clopper RR, Siegel PT, Stoppani C, Compton PG, Underwood LE. Academic achievement and psychological adjustment in short children. Dev Behav Pediatr 1994; 15: 1–6.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Westphal O. Experiences of Somatonorm in Sweden. Acta Paediatr Scand 1986; 325(suppl): 41–44.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Siegel PT, Clopper RR, Stoppani C, Stabler B. The psychological adjustment of short children and normal controls. In: Stabler B, Underwood LE, eds. Growth, stature, and adaptation. Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina. 1994: 123–3

    Google Scholar 

  15. Boulton TJ, Dunn SM, Quigley CA, Taylor JJ, Thompson L. Perceptions of self and short stature: effects of two years of growth hormone treatment. Acta Paediatr Scand 1991; 377(suppl): 20–27.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Stabler B, Clopper RR, Siegel PT, Nicholas LM, Silva SG, Tancer ME, et al. Links between growth hormone deficiency, adaptation and social phobia. Horm Res 1996; 45: 30–33.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Law CM. The disability of short stature. Arch Dis Child 1987; 62: 855–59.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Zimet GD, Cutler M, Litvene M, Dahms W, Owens R, Cuttler L. Psychological adjustment of children evaluated for short stature. A preliminary report. J Dev Behav Pediatr 1995; 16: 264–70.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Svensson B, Wiklund I, Albertsson-Wikland K. Well-being in a population of 18 year old high school students in GÖteborg, Sweden, 1993. Abstract. Growth, stature and adaptation. Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina. October 1993.

    Google Scholar 

  20. Stabler B, Tancer ME, Ranc J, Underwood LE. Evidence for social phobia and other psychiatric disorders in adults who were growth hormone deficient during childhood. Anxiety 1996; 2: 86–89.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Nicholas LM, Tancer ME, Silva SG, Underwood LE, Stabler B. Short stature, growth hormone deficiency, and social anxiety. Psychosom Med 1997; 59: 372–75.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Burman P, Broman JE, Hetta J, Wiklund I, Erfurth EM, Hagge E, et al. Quality of life in adults with growth hormone (GH) deficiency: response to treatment with recombinant human GH in a placebo controlled 21-month trial. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 1995; 80: 3585–90.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Rosén T, Wirén L, Wilhelmsen L, Wiklund I, Bengtsson BÅ. Decreased psychological well-being in adult patients with growth hormone deficiency. Clin Endocrinol 1994; 40: 111–16.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. McGauley GA. Quality of life assessments before and after growth hormone treatment in adults with growth hormone deficiency. Acta Paediatr Scand 1989; 356(suppl): 70–72.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Almqvist O, Thorén M, Sääf M, Eriksson O. Effects of growth hormone substitution on mental performance in adults with growth hormone deficiency: a pilot study. Psychoneuroendocrinology 1986; 11: 347–52.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. McKenna SP, Doward LC. Quality-of-life assessment of adults with growth hormone efficiency. Implications for drug therapy. Pharmacoeconomics 1994; 6: 434–41.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Degerblad M, Almkvist O, Grunditz R, Hall K, Kaijser L, Knutsson E, et al. Physical and psychological capabilities during substitution therapy with re-combinant growth hormone in adults with growth hormone deficiency. Acta Endocrinol 1990; 123: 185–93.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Sartorio A, Molinari E, Riva G, Conti A, Morabito F, Faglia G. Growth hormone treatment in adults with childhood onset growth hormone deficiency: effects on psychological capabilities. Horm Res 1995; 44: 6–11.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Mårdh G, Lundin K, Borg G, Jonsson B, Lindeberg A on behalf of the investigators. Growth hormone replacement therapy in adult hypopituitary patients with growth hormone deficiency: Combined data from 12 European placebo-controlled clinical trials. Endocrinol Metab 1994; 1(suppl):A: 43–49.

    Google Scholar 

  30. Rotnem D, Cohen DJ, Hintz R, Genel M. Psychological sequelae of relative treatment failure for chidlren receiving human growth hormone replacement. Am Acad Child Psychiatr 1979; 18: 505–20.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Holmes CS, Karlsson JA, Thompson RG. Longitudinal evaluation of behavior patterns in children with short stature. In: Stabler B, Underwood LE, eds. Slow grows the child: psychosocial aspects of growth delay. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 1986: 1–12.

    Google Scholar 

  32. Molinari E, Coretti E, Morabito F, Sartorio A, Peri G. Personality development follow-up in subjects with GH deficiency. Acta Med Auxolog 1990; 22: 171–80.

    Google Scholar 

  33. Cuttler L, Silvers JB, Singh J, Marrero U, Finkelstein B, Tannin G, et al. Short stature and growth hormone therapy. JAMA 1996; 276: 531–37.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Authors
  1. Ingela K. Wiklund
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Ann E. Erling
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Kerstin Albertsson-Wikland
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA

    Brian Stabler Ph.D.

  2. Department of Pediatrics College of Medicine, University of South Florida, All Children’s Hospital, St. Petersburg, FL, 33701, USA

    Barry B. Bercu M.D.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2000 Springer Science+Business Media New York

About this paper

Cite this paper

Wiklund, I.K., Erling, A.E., Albertsson-Wikland, K. (2000). Quality of Life in Children and Adults with Growth Hormone Deficiency. In: Stabler, B., Bercu, B.B. (eds) Therapeutic Outcome of Endocrine Disorders. Serono Symposia USA. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4612-1230-0_3

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4612-1230-0_3

  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4612-7052-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4612-1230-0

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation